Man said he was ‘devastated’ after hitting cement prongs along I-285 causing $2,000 in damage

ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta driver is raising safety concerns after an incident on Interstate 285 left his car with over $2,000 in damages.

The driver, Brian Briggs, said he couldn’t avoid hitting two cemented prongs on the highway.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln visited the scene on 285 where the incident occurred and found the two metal prongs sticking out of the highway.

Briggs described the encounter as an immediate impact.

“It was like immediate, pop pop. I heard and felt it,” Briggs said.

He said he knew instantly that the impact caused severe damage. The prongs were located along Interstate 285 westbound at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.

“I’m at disgust at why they would leave something like this in the roadway,” he said.

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Earlier this month, Briggs was attempting to pull onto the shoulder when he hit the prongs. The impact destroyed both his driver-side front and rear tires, costing more than $2,000 in damages.

“When I got out and looked, I was really devastated by what I saw,” Briggs said.

When he sought reimbursement for the damages, Briggs told Channel 2 Action News that a GDOT representative told him they do not offer claims.

“I don’t want it to be a tragedy,” Briggs said.

GDOT told Channel 2 Action News that the sign was installed in May. It is a permanent exit sign that was struck by a vehicle and will be replaced and relocated.

The location in question was fixed on Tuesday. GDOT says the motorist will need to go through DOAS for claims status. The department does not handle claims against the state, regardless of where in the roadway the incident occurs. Briggs told Lincoln, a representative from the state contacted him Tuesday and it’s working to resolve this issue.

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